UK College of Nursing Home to Only Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program in Kentucky
The University of Kentucky College of Nursing is home to the only Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP) Program in the Commonwealth and is recognized by the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board—the largest independent pediatric nursing certification organization in the country.
A PNP specializes in health care for infants, children and adolescents, and they practice in a range of settings, including children’s hospitals, physicians’ offices, schools and other acute and primary health care settings. The role of the acute care PNP is very distinct and separate from that of the primary care PNP. While there is an overlap for both regarding wellness, health promotion and growth and development concepts, acute care PNPs are also educated to meet the demands associated with critically ill children and those with unstable complex chronic conditions.
Coordinating the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) PNP Track is Associate Professor Leslie Scott, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CDE, MLDE.
“Acute care pediatric nurse practitioners have an in-depth understanding of growth and development and are able to apply those skills into the care of children with acute, complex or critical conditions,” says Dr. Scott. “They often work as part of a multidisciplinary team are excellent in the care of children with life-threatening illnesses.”
When Dr. Scott took over the PNP Specialty in the DNP Program, it was transitioning from a master’s level program to doctoral. Dr. Scott led the development of the doctoral-level curriculum. “We like to think that our PhD colleagues create the science through their research where the DNP provider incorporates the science into clinical practice and then evaluates the outcomes,” she says.
“As a DNP student, education equips you with the knowledge and tools needed to formulate clinical questions, search the literature and look for the best evidence to inform your practice,” says Dianna Inman, DNP, RN, APRN, CPNP, PMHS, assistant professor. “We know that it takes, on average, 17 years to get research into practice. The doctorally prepared pediatric nurses will be able to evaluate the evidence and be those champions that we need them to be to get nursing research into practice much sooner.”
“Our faculty members in the College of Nursing are laying the groundwork for pediatric nursing nationwide step by step, and their expertise is essential in keeping Kentucky’s children healthy,” says Janie Heath, PhD, APRN-BC, FAAN, dean and Warwick Professor of Nursing.
For more information on the DNP PNP Track at the College, click here.
